All About Reiki

Our hands are naturally healing, think about it. When you bang your toe, whats the first thing you do? cover it with your hand! After yelling fuck of course. Pregnant woman even put their hands over their belly in a standard Reiki position. Reiki is a gentle, holistic healing practice that promotes relaxation, stress relief, and balance through energy work. Originating in Japan, Reiki helps to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit, encouraging your natural healing processes. With Reiki, you can experience a calming and restorative effect on both physical and emotional levels.

Reiki is based on the idea that our bodies have a natural energy flow, similar to how we have a heartbeat or breathing rhythm. When this energy is balanced, we feel relaxed, healthy, and focused. Stress, illness, or emotional strain can disrupt this balance, leading to fatigue, tension, or even physical symptoms. Reiki is a way to restore that natural energy flow, helping the body relax and find its natural state of calm.

Energy in the Body

Science recognizes that our bodies emit subtle energy fields. For example, an EKG measures the heart’s electrical activity, while an EEG does the same for the brain. Even though these energy fields aren’t always visible, they have real effects on our bodies. Reiki practitioners believe they can connect with these fields to promote balance and well-being.

Relaxation Benefits Supported by Research

Studies have shown that Reiki’s calming effects can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and promote mental clarity. Hospitals are even using Reiki to help patients manage pain and anxiety because it brings about a "relaxation response" in the body. This deep relaxation allows the body to support its own healing, just as sleep or rest helps us recover from stress or illness.

Complementing Traditional Care

Reiki doesn’t replace medical care but can complement it. By supporting the body’s energy flow and encouraging relaxation, Reiki aligns with growing research on the mind-body connection, helping people feel more balanced and resilient.

Reiki is increasingly used in medical settings worldwide, particularly in hospitals and wellness centers, due to its powerful relaxation effects. Research has shown that Reiki doesn’t just make people “feel good”; it produces measurable, beneficial changes in the body and mind.

1. Documented Physical and Emotional Benefits

Studies have shown that Reiki can help reduce pain, lower anxiety, and improve overall well-being:

• A study at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut found that patients who received Reiki reported a 78% reduction in pain, 80% reduction in nausea, and 94% improvement in sleep quality.
• The Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine published a study indicating that Reiki can lower blood pressure, improve mood, and reduce heart rate variability, all of which are signs of stress reduction.

These physiological shifts demonstrate how Reiki triggers the body’s relaxation response, similar to how meditation or deep breathing can calm the nervous system. This relaxation allows the body to start its own natural healing processes.

2. Clinical Use in Hospitals and Cancer Care Centers

Reiki is being used to support patient recovery in major hospitals:

• The Cleveland Clinic, one of the top hospitals in the U.S., offers Reiki to patients for pain management, stress reduction, and emotional support, especially for those undergoing cancer treatments.
• Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York uses Reiki to complement traditional cancer treatments, helping patients manage chemotherapy’s side effects, such as nausea, fatigue, and emotional distress.

These centers report that Reiki helps patients feel more comfortable, promotes mental clarity, and even improves outcomes related to anxiety and pain.

3. Scientific Research on Reiki’s Effects

While Reiki operates on subtle energy, measurable effects have been observed in clinical studies:

• A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that people receiving Reiki had lower cortisol levels, the hormone related to stress. Lower cortisol is associated with better immune function, reduced inflammation, and improved mental well-being.
• Brainwave research has shown that people who receive Reiki enter alpha and theta brainwave states, which are associated with deep relaxation and meditation. These states allow the body to rest, repair, and balance itself more effectively.

4. Mind-Body Connection: Validating Energy-Based Therapies

Reiki aligns with research on the mind-body connection, which shows how physical and mental well-being are deeply intertwined. Practices like Reiki, meditation, and acupuncture are gaining acceptance because they encourage the body to enter a balanced state. This isn’t “just placebo”—the relaxation response produced by Reiki has been shown to lower inflammation, reduce blood pressure, and support overall healing.

References: 

Hartford Hospital. (n.d.). Integrative Medicine - Reiki Therapy. Retrieved from https://hartfordhospital.org

• This reference details the impact of Reiki therapy on pain, nausea, and sleep quality as used at Hartford Hospital, highlighting the 78% reduction in pain, 80% reduction in nausea, and 94% improvement in sleep quality.

Thrane, S., & Cohen, S. M. (2014). Effect of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Adults: An In-Depth Literature Review of Randomized Trials with Effect Size Calculations. Pain Management Nursing, 15(4), 897-908. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2014.03.002

• This study provides an overview of Reiki’s effects on pain and anxiety and includes effect sizes for various studies that quantify Reiki’s impact on pain reduction and mood improvement.

Diaz-Rodriguez, L., Arroyo-Morales, M., Cantarero-Villanueva, I., Fernandez-Lao, C., Polley, M., & Fernandez-de-las-Penas, C. (2011). Immediate Effects of Reiki on Heart Rate Variability, Cortisol Levels, and Body Temperature in Health Care Professionals: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17(9), 843-848. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0331

• This research focuses on the physiological effects of Reiki, showing its impact on cortisol levels, heart rate variability, and body temperature—key indicators of stress reduction.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. (n.d.). Integrative Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.mskcc.org

• Details on Sloan Kettering’s use of Reiki to support cancer patients through the emotional and physical challenges of chemotherapy, highlighting improvements in patient comfort and mental clarity.

Bowden, D., Goddard, L., & Gruzelier, J. (2010). A Randomized Controlled Single-Blind Trial of the Efficacy of Reiki at Benefitting Mood and Well-Being. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7(2), 189-195. doi:10.1093/ecam/nem173

• This study examines the impact of Reiki on mood and well-being, providing evidence of reduced anxiety and improved emotional states in Reiki recipients, particularly in hospital environments.

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Reiki Therapy. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org

• Information from Cleveland Clinic on their implementation of Reiki therapy in a clinical setting, noting applications for stress management, emotional support, and pain relief, particularly for cancer patients.

Baldwin, A. L., Wagers, C., & Schwartz, G. E. (2008). Reiki Improves Heart Rate Homeostasis in Laboratory Rats. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(4), 417-422. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0082

• This experimental study highlights how Reiki influences heart rate variability, a measure of the relaxation response, even in non-human subjects.

As a certified Reiki Practitioner, I specialize in Holy Fire Reiki, a powerful healing technique that promotes relaxation and deep inner peace. In my practice, I combine the transformative energy of Holy Fire Reiki with sound therapy and crystal healing to enhance each session's effects. Crystals are carefully selected to align with your needs, amplifying the healing power and supporting emotional, physical, and spiritual balance.